The Corona pandemic illustrated to a wider public how important advice from science is for political action. Scientific facts and assessments are also necessary for the upcoming transformation processes in society and the economy, for example when it comes to questions of climate protection and the protection of biodiversity.
NGOs from environmental protection and nature conservation also exert influence on society and politics. Their influence has been increasing for many years. In politics and society, they are often viewed positively. And indeed, many NGOs provide useful know how.
However, there are also considerable uncertainties. Especially when ideologically hardened positions and non-scientifically based knowledge determine the actions of NGOs. There is often a lack of comprehensible criteria for evaluating whether NGOs are really helpful as political advisors for solving problems. In addition, there is the risk that NGOs' self-interests cannot be clearly distinguished from interests oriented toward the common good. The widespread perception of NGOs as David in the fight against Goliath, for example against economic corporations, is not coherent. Whether NGOs are actually working for the "good cause" should be examined on a case-by-case basis.
In the positive case, scientific policy advice and the political influence of NGOs complement each other and together support the transformation processes towards more sustainability.
About this series
The series informs in a concentrated form about important positions of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung on current topics. The individual issues present key findings and recommendations, offer brief analyses, explain the Foundation's further plans and name KAS contact persons.
